


The Stress Kills Me

by Phantom_Thieves



Series: Gallavich Prompts [1]
Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: Boys In Love, Cute, Fluff, Lip and Mickey bromance, M/M, Post S4, but there's a happy ending, mentions of bi-polar, small bit angst at the beginning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-14
Updated: 2014-12-14
Packaged: 2018-03-01 12:25:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2772947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phantom_Thieves/pseuds/Phantom_Thieves
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i><b>Prompt:</b> I don't know if you'd like to write it, but I've always wondered how would a hug work for these two, or cuddling, you know, fluffy shit like that.</i>
</p><p>"Ian was coming home today."</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Stress Kills Me

**Author's Note:**

> So I kinda went off track with the prompt a small bit but here it is! Be nice, I've never written for this fandom before and I'm kinda nervous.

In retrospect Mickey should have seen the signs. The early mornings, the seemingly endless supply of energy and the inability to focus on one thing at a time. All the signs were there, Ian was going manic but he pushed that nagging voice to the back of his mind. He focused on keeping with up Ian, keeping up with his plans and his dreams of “the next big thing” that was somehow going to make him into a big success. He listened to Ian go on and on about one thing or another, watched as he gestured wildly with a big grin on his face.

Mickey's not stupid, he knew something was still off about him. But he'd rather have Ian talk his head off then not talk to him at all. 

He wasn't at all surprised however when a couple of months later Ian was yelling at him to fuck off as he pulled the covers of their bed over his head. 

Ian needed help, professional help. He swiped the redheads phone from the bedside table and his pack of smokes and headed outside. He lit a cigarette and fumbled with the phone until he found Fiona's name in the contacts. It rang five times before she answered.

“Hey Ian!” she answered and Mickey could hear the voices of her siblings behind her, “what's up?”

Mickey actually grimaced at how cheery she sounded. “Not Ian,” he exhaled and smoked ghosted in front of him as he gathered his thoughts. “It's Mickey.”

“Oh. What's up?”

His fingers trembled slightly as he brought the cigarette back up to his lips. Inhale. Exhale. “You were right,” he said, voice trembling slightly. “Ian needs help.”

There was silence on the other end for a few seconds before, “I'll be right over.”

\---

Thirty-Five days.

Ian had been at a residential treatment centre for thirty-five days. No visitors, even from family were allowed until the days were up. He'd gotten a few brief calls from him (which Mickey guessed wasn't aloud due to Ian's hushed voice) and he sounded more and more like his old self each time, but that didn't stop Mickey from worrying.

In fact, he hadn't stopped worrying from the day Ian left. Mandy had joked that he was going to cut a hole in the floor with the amount of pacing he was doing. Mickey in his stressed out state did not find it amusing however and told her to fuck off. He kept his mind off it as best he can which usually involved alcohol and weed, counting down the days. 

Ian was coming home today.

His leg twitched anxiously as he sat in back seat of Kev's truck as Fiona drove with Lip in the passenger seat. He toyed with his fingers as he stared out the window, he'd smoked his last cigarette only ten minutes ago but he was already itching for another one. He needed something to keep his hands busy.

“What do you think Mick?”

The eldest sibling's voice broke him from his daze as he looked up to see her looking at him in the rear view mirror. He didn't even realise they were talking.

“What?” 

She was going to elaborate but before she could Lip just waved her off, “Don't even bother Fi, Mickeys got his mind on other things right now.” He turned round to look at Mickey, “You're looking a bit worse for wear there Mick.”

Lip grinned that smug Gallagher grin and God, he's such an asshole. He was the one that asked if Mickey wanted to come with them to bring Ian home in the first place. Said that they didn't want to overwhelm him as soon as he gets out so the rest of the Gallagher clan was waiting at home for their brother's return.

“Fuck off,” he gritted out. “How much fucking longer until we get there huh? My legs are starting to fucking cramp.”

“'Bout five more minutes.” Fiona said as she turned off the highway.

It was the longest five minutes of Mickey's life but they finally pulled into the car park of the treatment centre Ian was at. It was pretty packed so they parked near the back where there were plenty of spaces. The three of them got out of the car.

“So I thought I'd go in and sign him out and you guys wait here,” Fiona said, closing the car door behind her and handing Lip the keys. They just both nodded and she smiled at them and headed up towards the main entrance. 

Mickey leaned up against the car watching the eldest Gallagher disappear though the doors of the building. He bit his lip. On the ride up he'd been going through over and over on what he'd say to Ian when he saw him but with the moment drawing near he mind was blank. 

He could really do with a smoke.

“Hey do you have a -” he looked to see Lip already handing him over a cigarette.

“Looks like you really need one man.”

He muttered a quiet 'thanks' before lighting it. It was more of a need of something for him to do to keep his mind off of how nervous he was more then actual cravings. Inhale. Exhale. 

“No need to be so nervous man.” Lip said as he lit his own cigarette and leaned up against the car next to Mickey keeping the right amount of distance between them.

“I ain't fucking nervous.”

Lip looked unconvinced but it let it go nevertheless. They stood in silence for a minute or so before, “Must've been hard coming out to your Dad. You'd been keeping it a secret for so long, what made you change your mind?”

“The fuck do you care?” he huffed.

“I don't. But I care about Ian and he cares about you. I am curious though.” 

Mickey sighed, threw the butt of the cigarette on the ground and stood on it. Asshole, he thought. “I didn't want him to leave again alright,” he finally said, “I didn't want to give him a reason to leave.” I didn't want him to leave me. 

“Pretty brave of you man, I mean Kev told me what happened afterwards. Heard you yelled some pretty interesting things while you were getting handcuffed,” he grinned at Mickey knowingly. “Ian must be worth it.”

Mickey looked over at him, “Course he's fucking worth it!” he said instinctively.

It dawned on him as Lip smirked that he'd just been played made him roll his eyes. Lip was looking out for Ian, looking for validation of Mickeys feelings for his brother. “You're a fucking ass you know that?”

“Yep.”

Mickey looked up just as the doors of the centre opened and for the first time in weeks he saw him. His red hair was like a beacon and he watched he walked towards him laughing and smiling with his sister.

Lip pushed up off the car and quickly headed towards his brother and embraced him. The three siblings exchanged words and smiles and Mickey couldn't help but feel intrusive watching them.

And then Ian saw him.

Mickey stood there awkwardly meeting his eye as his siblings slowly detached from him, taking his bags and making their way back to the car. He didn't know what to say or do, he was so overwhelmed by the sight of him being so happy and normal he was completely at a lost for words. 

And then Ian was moving towards him with that massive grin on his face and somehow Mickey meet him halfway without really knowing that he moved and before he even knew it he threw his arms around the redhead and Ian laughed as he returned the hug. It was so good to hear him laugh, to feel his breath on his neck.

Mickey moved his hand to the back of Ian's head and guided him down slightly so he could kiss the top of his head, similar to the way Ian had done many months ago. He was still a little uneasy with PDA but he hoped that he'd get his point across.

“Nice to see you too,” Ian smiles as they pull away from each other, but not quite letting go of the other boy. “Fiona said that there was a surprise.” 

“Yeah?” Mickey smiled, he shifted slightly and asked, “everything good now?”

Ian nodded, “Yeah, they put me on a combination of meds that seem to work. I have to come back at some point for a follow up later on in the year to see how it's going but -” he smiled even more, if that was possible, “I feel more like myself then I have in a long time.”

Mickey let out a sigh of relief. “Fucking good,” he said, “'cause I think I must of aged like twenty fucking years since you've been gone with the fucking stress.”

Ian laughed at that, a genuine laugh, not the manic crazed ones that Mickey had grown accustomed to not so long ago.

“I missed you,” he said, cupping Mickey's face and Mickey thought 'fuck it', public displays of affection be dammed and leaned forward and kissed him. 

“Me too.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Not too sure about the ending though. Please leave kudos/comments if you like! :D  
> Send me prompts on tumblr! http://mickeys-mumbles.tumblr.com/


End file.
